Three Jailed After Brutal Hammer And Bottle Attack Inside Nightmare Swansea Flats

Three people who launched a savage attack on a man inside a Swansea block of flats have been jailed after a judge said they behaved “like a pack of wild animals.”

Joshua Bassett, Deborah Delaney and Jamie Davies set upon their victim, Abiquani Hassan, in the Griffith John Street flats, using a claw hammer, a glass bottle and boots to beat him. The assault left Mr Hassan battered and bleeding from a head wound, with a broken finger and extensive bruising.

The court heard Mr Hassan had gone to Delaney’s flat in the early hours of June 24 to buy drugs, following the usual routine of posting £20 through the letterbox and waiting for his purchase to be pushed back. But when nothing arrived and he knocked on the door, Delaney later confronted him armed with a glass bottle, reported the Wales Online.

Prosecutor Dean Pulling told Swansea Crown Court that a fight quickly broke out in the corridor. Davies appeared with a claw hammer and struck Mr Hassan, while Bassett joined in with kicks and punches. Someone shouted a racial slur at the victim during the assault, and Mr Hassan was warned he was “lucky” not to have been stabbed.

Despite his injuries, Mr Hassan managed to escape and fled to a friend’s home nearby, where emergency services were called. He was taken to hospital for treatment to his wounds.

Police arrested Delaney and Bassett shortly after the incident, while Davies was caught a few days later. Delaney gave “no comment” answers in interview, while the two men refused to be questioned.

The prosecution suggested there may have been a dispute about Delaney’s crack pipe, which she suspected Mr Hassan had taken days earlier, but no clear motive was established.

All three defendants admitted unlawful wounding. Bassett and Delaney also admitted possession of offensive weapons. The court heard each had long criminal records. Bassett, 28, has 64 previous offences including burglaries, robberies, drug matters and violence. Delaney, 41, has 56 prior convictions, while Davies, 35, has 42, including drug supply and assault.

Lawyers for the defendants argued their clients had chaotic lives shaped by drugs, alcohol and troubled backgrounds. David Singh, representing Delaney, admitted she started the violence but claimed her role was limited after the initial blow.

Judge Geraint Walters told the trio their attack was “barbaric” and said: “You behaved like a pack of wild animals when you set upon Mr Hassan.” He described them as prolific offenders leading “aimless” lives punctuated by criminality, adding that life in the Griffith John Street flats must be “a complete nightmare.” In response, Delaney, appearing via video link, said simply: “It is.”

With reductions for guilty pleas, Bassett, Delaney and Davies were each handed prison terms of 27 months. Delaney and Davies were also sentenced to six months for their weapons offences, to run concurrently. They will serve half their sentences behind bars before being released on licence.